Abstract: There is a severe drought situation for vegetation cultivation with the climatic evolution. In order to further enhance initiative and effectiveness of drought relief, this paper takes crop cultivation as a main background to emphatically deal with basic problems about drought relief. Drought characteristics, occurrence forms, regional difference, relativity, use status of precipitation and irrigation water, and drought-relief tactics are analysed for making the foundation of drought relief clear. It is considered that soil water deficiency would be a chief expression of drought, and the lag of soil drought, i.e. no synchronization of it with atmosphere drought would be an important ground for drought relief. By presenting drought-relief ways, two aspects drought escape and drought avoidance are divided from the drought relief in a narrow sense. It is believed that drought avoidance should become regular practices. Drought relief is characterized by efficient and economical utilization of water. Direct drought relief and indirect drought relief are all necessary. At last, this paper additionally expounds the significance of hydrological drought and treatment of precipitation as a resource.